Monday, March 16, 2015

The Great Gatsby fishbowl #3: chapters 5 & 6

Great questions & responses last discussion, group. A few reminders of what I'm looking for your your work.

1. Be sure to carefully proofread your ideas.

2. Use the thread feature to indicate to whom you're replying. If you're beginning a new line of thinking or questioning, use the general post feature.

3. For each comment you make or question you ask, contextualize or support your thinking with text. Be sure, too, that you introduce the relevance of that comment to your thinking, thoughtfully incorporating your passage into your ideas versus throwing out the quote & leaving it to your audience to infer why you're using it. Please cite these quotes as well.

Here are a few good examples of posts from last class:

Grant asked, "On page 66 Nick says 'He reached in his pocket, and a piece of metal, slung on a ribbon, fell into my palm' while Gatsby is explaining his past accomplishments to Nick. Why do you think Gatsby came prepared with proof of his past accomplishments?"And James commented, "I think that is a good interpretation of that quote. I think Gatsby knows that he chopped up on his description of his past like when on that same page [N]ick says, 'He hurried the phrase educated at Oxford, or swallowed it, or choked on it." So he says that to cover it up.'And a good question from Austin: "Nick says, 'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.' What does Nick mean? How does this connect back to the characters? And How does this represent the secrete society?"Happy posting!

I don't think Gatsby's life is desirable. Yes he has the cars, clothes, and house but he doesn't have his happiness. His happiness lies in the hands of Daisy and I don't think anything is more important than happiness. So until he has everything he wants it wont be desirable.

On page 105 "I've never met so many celebrities," Daisy exclaimed. "I liked that man - what was his name?- The sort of blue nose." Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer.(Fitzgerald 105) Do you think Gatsby invited famous people intending to impress Daisy?

It could be interpreted as that, but these parties with these celebrities were going on awhile before Daisy came back into the picture. I think the people there are used to personify Gatsby and the way he acts. At the same time, its also something pretty easy to use to impress. Depends on how you see it I suppose.

Gatsby bought the house across the bay know that Daisy was on the other side. So yes these parties were being thrown long before Daisy ever came back into his life, but he threw them and made them as big as possible to someday see Daisy walk in. The only reason why Gatsby throws the bacchanalian parties is because of Daisy-- hoping to lure her in and impress her at the same time.

This is an interesting thought. I think that Gatsby is so blurred by his past and how he really got to where he is. I think that Gatsby is thinking about Daisy and their past and what they used to be. Gatsby is thinking now that he wants Daisy and that would be like history repeating itself.

On page 109 Gatsby says,"And she doesn't understand,' he said. 'She used to be able to understand. We'd sit for hours....." Gatsby seems to hint that Daisy has changed. If you agree that Daisy has changed, in what ways do you think she has?

It seems that Daisy is changing over the years. On page 82"She began to cry—she cried and cried. I rushed out and found her mother’s maid and we locked the door and got her into a cold bath. She wouldn’t let go of the letter." (Fitzgerald 82) It seems that she was angry and the only way numb the pain. Also when Nick invited Daisy over for some tea it seems like her personality has been changing and how the conversation seems to be awkward.

On page 98 it talks about Gatsby changing and "re-inventing" himself. It says, "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." So my question is, what was Gatsby's true motivation in going through with this.

I agree with Patrick. I think the regret and question of what her life could have been like haunts her and is really uncomfortable. She is very unhappy with Tom and especially when she knows he is cheating on her, it only makes her want to go back to Gatsby more.

On page 107 Tom says, "Who is this Gatsby anyhow?" Tom seems to be angry or jealous of Gatsby and Daisy's newly kindled relationship. Do you think that Tom will publicly react to this relationship or will he let it be and go with Myrtle?

On page 86 Gatsby just started off talking to Daisy saying, "We've met before." His eyes glanced momentarily at nick. Before he got comfortable with Daisy, it seemed he was very reliant on Nick, do you think that is the reason he invited him over for tea?

On page 107 Tom says, "Who is this Gatsby anyhow?" Tom seems to be angry or jealous of Gatsby and Daisy's newly kindled relationship. Do you think that Tom will publicly react to this relationship or will he let it be and go with Myrtle?

On page 96 it says that, "I looked once more at them and they looked back at me, remotely, possessed by intense life." This part makes me think that they may be rekindling their love, but it also makes me think Daisy might be doing this because of how rich Gatsby is. Do you think that Daisy actually really likes Gatsby or is she just trying to be around him because of his money.

I think it was very significant that he was there and definitely changed the way Daisy acted because he knew something was going on between her and Gatsby when he states, "Who is this Gatsby anyhow?" on page 107 he shows his anger towards the situation.